History Main / Dubstep

Dubstep is a genre of ElectronicMusic that began in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} South London]] in [[TurnOfThe =Millennium the early 2000s]], and has risen to become one of the most popular forms of electronic music in TheNewTens. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

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Dubstep is a genre of ElectronicMusic that began in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} South London]] in [[TurnOfThe =Millennium [[TurnOfTheMillennium the early 2000s]], and has risen to become one of the most popular forms of electronic music in TheNewTens. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

Dubstep began in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} South London]] in the early 2000s, and has risen to become the most popular form of {{electronic music}} in years. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

Originally minimalistic, dark, and atmospheric, dubstep evolved over the course of the last decade. Beats became heavier, bass more abrasive, and as the sound gained mainstream popularity, more attention was paid to big drops and "filthy" wobbles (usually preceded by a 30-60 second long intro) than atmosphere. This new form of the style became known (first derogatorily, then as an AppropriatedAppellation) as "brostep"; that is, dubstep that "[[{{Main/Fratbro}} bros]]" could enjoy. Contrast [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDU1Cy152S4 "Midnight Request Line" by Skream]], one of dubstep's first crossover hits, with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1VLaXoRRdk the Flux Pavilion remix of "Cracks" by Freestylers]], a popular song from about 2010. This division in sound has led to massive amounts of FanDumb and BrokenBase in the dubstep community, and it will most likely [[ThisIsGonnaSuck only get worse]], as dubstep has, as of 2012, appeared even in advertisements for films, television shows and products. Many artists that once associated with the genre are splintering off and working on other forms of electronic music, such as post-dubstep (dubstep meets R&B/soul), bass music and glitch hop.

In the current scene, there are two popular varieties of dubstep; the aforementioned "brostep", which is harder and more abrasive, featuring a "filthy" sound, start-stop basslines, heavy drops and more emphasis on heavily distorted riffs as opposed to the conventional "wobble" sound of classic dubstep, and often with significant HeavyMetal influences (hence the alternative name "metalstep"); and "chillstep", a LighterAndSofter take on traditional dubstep which features less distorted bass, a more spacey sound, little to no wobble riffs, less emphasis to near-absence of drops and a generally "angelic" or "uplifting" feel, although many other varieties exist, such as drumstep (dubstep + DrumAndBass), glitchstep (dubstep + glitch music, occasionally with some chiptune thrown in) and noisestep (dubstep + noise/industrial) Dubstep is known among artists for its ease of fusion with non-electronic music genres, such as classical, hip-hop and soul music. Its influence has also been felt in other genres of electronic music, particularly in EBM (electronic body music), IDM (intelligent dance music), IndustrialMetal and some hard varieties of {{Techno}} and {{Trance}}.

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Dubstep is a genre of ElectronicMusic that began in [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} South London]] in [[TurnOfThe =Millennium the early 2000s, 2000s]], and has risen to become one of the most popular form forms of {{electronic music}} electronic music in years.TheNewTens. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

Originally minimalistic, dark, and atmospheric, dubstep evolved rapidly over the course of the last decade. Beats became heavier, bass more abrasive, and as the sound gained mainstream popularity, more attention was paid to big drops and "filthy" wobbles (usually preceded by a 30-60 second long intro) than atmosphere. This new form of the style became known (first derogatorily, then as an AppropriatedAppellation) as "brostep"; that is, dubstep that "[[{{Main/Fratbro}} bros]]" could enjoy. Contrast [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDU1Cy152S4 "Midnight Request Line" by Skream]], one of dubstep's first crossover hits, with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1VLaXoRRdk the Flux Pavilion remix of "Cracks" by Freestylers]], a popular song from about 2010. This division in sound has led to massive amounts of FanDumb and BrokenBase in the dubstep community, and it will most likely [[ThisIsGonnaSuck only get worse]], as dubstep has, as of 2012, appeared even in advertisements for films, television shows and products. Many artists that once associated with the genre are splintering off and working on other forms of electronic music, such as post-dubstep (dubstep meets R&B/soul), bass music and glitch hop.

In the current scene, there are two popular varieties of dubstep; the aforementioned "brostep", which is harder and more abrasive, featuring a "filthy" sound, start-stop basslines, heavy drops and more emphasis on heavily distorted riffs as opposed to the conventional "wobble" sound of classic dubstep, and often with significant HeavyMetal influences (hence the alternative name "metalstep"); and "chillstep", a LighterAndSofter take on traditional dubstep which features less distorted bass, a more spacey sound, little to no wobble riffs, less emphasis to near-absence of drops and a generally "angelic" or "uplifting" feel, although many other varieties exist, such as drumstep (dubstep + DrumAndBass), glitchstep (dubstep + glitch music, occasionally with some chiptune thrown in) and noisestep (dubstep + noise/industrial) noise/{{industrial}}). Dubstep is known among artists for its ease of fusion with non-electronic music genres, such as classical, hip-hop and soul music. Its influence has also been felt in other genres of electronic music, particularly in EBM (electronic body music), IDM (intelligent dance music), IndustrialMetal and some hard varieties of {{Techno}} and {{Trance}}.

** Au5 receives a lot of respect from the electronic music fandom for the sheer complexity of his music, featuring a massive smattering of technical, varied sound design and frequent forays into trance. He is renowned by his fanbase for his ability to maintain consistent structure and musicality throughout even the heaviest of his work, while not sacrificing the variety of his bass design.

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** Au5 [=Au5=] receives a lot of respect from the electronic music fandom for the sheer complexity of his music, featuring a massive smattering of technical, varied sound design and frequent forays into trance. He is renowned by his fanbase for his ability to maintain consistent structure and musicality throughout even the heaviest of his work, while not sacrificing the variety of his bass design.

** Au5 receives a lot of respect from the electronic music fandom for the sheer complexity of his music, featuring a massive smattering of technical, varied sound design and frequent forays into trance. He is renowned by his fanbase for his ability to maintain consistent structure and musicality throughout even the heaviest of his work, while not sacrificing the variety of his bass design.

* PublicMediumIgnorance: Anyone who has a passing knowledge of what dubstep is would immediately think of Music/{{Skrillex}} upon hearing the word, not knowing that a whole scene of active dubstep musicians exists. This knowledge often reaches FanDumb levels as they continue to associate Skrillex with the genre,[[note]]when in fact, Skrillex usually produces house music and {{trance}}, but his dubstep has become so well-known that even his non-dubstep works are easily overlooked.[[/note]] to the point where the rest of the dubstep scene is perecived as irrelevant. This can get particularly grating in some cases, as many music [[FanDumb fans]] now believe that Skrillex is an even better composer than Creator/HansZimmer, Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, or Music/YoshikiHayashi simply because [[InsaneTrollLogic Skrillex makes dubstep]].

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* PublicMediumIgnorance: Anyone who has a passing knowledge of what dubstep is would immediately think of Music/{{Skrillex}} upon hearing the word, not knowing that a whole scene of active dubstep musicians exists. This knowledge often reaches FanDumb levels as they continue to associate Skrillex with the genre,[[note]]when in fact, Skrillex usually produces house music and {{trance}}, but his dubstep has become so well-known that even his non-dubstep works are easily overlooked.[[/note]] to the point where the rest of the dubstep scene is perecived as irrelevant. This can get particularly grating in some cases, as many music [[FanDumb fans]] now believe that Skrillex is an even better composer than Creator/HansZimmer, Music/HansZimmer, Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, or Music/YoshikiHayashi simply because [[InsaneTrollLogic Skrillex makes dubstep]].

While the fans and critics of dubstep will doubtless be trolling each other in music forums for years to come over its [[LoveItOrHateIt artistic merits or lack thereof]], the impact dubstep has had on the electronic music world is undeniable.

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While the fans and critics of dubstep will doubtless be trolling each other in music forums for years to come over its [[LoveItOrHateIt artistic merits or lack thereof]], thereof, the impact dubstep has had on the electronic music world is undeniable.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: While the genre as a whole [[LoveItOrHateIt isn't particularly well-received]] by fans of heavy music and fans of any genre, the scene is also notable for putting forth some of the most highly acclaimed and pioneering artists in ElectronicMusic, some of which include the following...

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* EnsembleDarkhorse: While the genre as a whole [[LoveItOrHateIt isn't particularly well-received]] well-received by fans of heavy music and fans of any genre, the scene is also notable for putting forth some of the most highly acclaimed and pioneering artists in ElectronicMusic, some of which include the following...

* TheScrappy: Was one to ElectronicMusic fans for a while, mostly due to its over-saturation and mainstream prominence that ended up burying several other genres under the rug. By 2013, however, its Scrappy status was superseded by Big Room House due to its uber simplistic nature and even more over-saturated nature. Non-electronic music fans still tend to hold Dubstep in relatively low regard, however.** For artists, however, Borgore was this, although many successful collaborations with various artists (more emblematically with Music/MileyCyrus) and his ownership of a very promising electronic-centered label, Buygore, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap retroactively gave him lots of respect.]]** Music/{{Skrillex}} has become this, arguably due to the FanDumb's apparent worship of his music, but in recent times his music seems to have gained much less respect [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny thanks to the ever-growing number of producers who seek to copy his metal-influenced brostep style]].

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* TheScrappy: Was one to ElectronicMusic fans for a while, mostly due to its over-saturation and mainstream prominence that ended up burying several other genres under the rug. By 2013, however, its Scrappy status was superseded by [[ElectroHouse Big Room House House]] due to its uber simplistic nature formulaic and even more over-saturated nature. Non-electronic music fans still tend to hold Dubstep in relatively low regard, however.** For RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Many dubstep artists, however, Borgore was this, although many successful collaborations with various artists (more emblematically with Music/MileyCyrus) meanwhile, have achieved better critical success outside the confines of the genre, notable examples include Excision and his ownership of a very promising electronic-centered label, Buygore, [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap retroactively gave him lots of respect.]]Borgore.** Music/{{Skrillex}} has become this, arguably due to the FanDumb's apparent worship of his music, but in recent times his music seems to have gained much less respect [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny thanks in part to the ever-growing number proliferation of producers artists who seek to copy his metal-influenced produce brostep style]].and his generally formulaic songwriting]].

Dubstep began in [[LondonTown South London]] in the early 2000s, and has risen to become the most popular form of {{electronic music}} in years. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

to:

Dubstep began in [[LondonTown [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} South London]] in the early 2000s, and has risen to become the most popular form of {{electronic music}} in years. Branching off from UK garage and grime, dubstep primarily became known for a moderate tempo (typically around 140 bpm), a heavy emphasis on bass and frequencies under 100Hz and often (but certainly not always) with a distinctive "wobble" sound, commonly achieved by playing disharmonious bass tones in unison. Many artists even delve into infrasonic territory below 20Hz, which is not so much ''heard'' as ''felt''. Rhythmically, dubstep is in CommonTime by definition and owes a lot of its sound to dub reggae: both usually have a snare hit on the third beat of the bar, and both drums and bass tend to make heavy use of triplets.

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